Become an Examiner

What is an Examiner?

You might say the TNCPE Board of Examiners is the engine that drives our organization. This group of quality-driven professionals collaborates to assess the businesses and organizations that apply to the TNCPE Award Program each year. They’re also tasked with developing the valuable feedback reports that applicant organizations use to streamline their processes, empower their workforces, and achieve the results they want.

Examiners come from all industry sectors across the state of Tennessee and the Southeast. They will tell you they applied for the board because they were looking for an unparalleled professional challenge that would expand their knowledge base, enhance their personal effectiveness, connect them with like-minded professionals, and sharpen their competitive edge. In addition, they like the idea that they play a key role in making Tennessee and the Southeast a better place to live and work.

TNCPE Examiner/Award Cycle

Members of the TNCPE Board of Examiners serve for a one year period in a variety of roles: examiners, ambassadors, editors, leaders, coaches, and other volunteer activities. While there are opportunities for examiners to serve year round, the majority of an examiner’s work occurs between June - October.

April: Board of Examiner applications due

May: New examiner orientation (required for first year examiners)

June –July: Examiner training. Examiners attend one three-day training class. Classes are held during the summer months throughout the state of Tennessee, with one session in North Carolina.

August – September: Examiners are placed on teams and conduct their independent award application reviews.

September – October: Most examiners participate in a team consensus meeting, conduct a site visit, complete the scoring process, and write the final report.

December – May: Because TNCPE accepts Interest or Level 1 applications all year, Master Examiners may be assigned as a coach for a Level 1 applicant in the winter or early spring months.

Examiner Benefits

All examiners take part in annual training to learn how to assess the companies that apply to the TNCPE award program. They learn how to use the Baldrige Excellence Framework (which includes the Criteria for Performance Excellence), analyze and evaluate applicant organizations, conduct the examination process, and prepare value-added feedback. Other benefits include:

Employer Benefits

Businesses and organizations also benefit when they have a TNCPE examiner on staff. Examiner training empowers employees to apply the Criteria at their own jobs, improving processes and results along the way. In addition, employers enjoy:

Economic growth, as the organization applies the examiners’ knowledge and experiences

Access to intensive, free training for their workforce

More valuable employees

Recognition as an organization that values performance excellence

Access to on-hand experts who can lead internal improvement efforts

Recognition as a good corporate citizen

Apply to the Board of Examiners

Complete Board of Examiner Applications online

Returning Examiner Application

New Examiner Application

New Examiner Recommendation Form

or download Board of Examiner Applications:

Returning Examiner Application (PDF)

New Examiner Application (PDF)

New Examiner Recommendation Form (PDF)

The deadline for applications to the Board of Examiners has passed. Sign up to receive email notification for 2020 Board applications. If you have any questions, please contact our office.

We hope you consider applying! New examiners (or those who have not served on the TNCPE Board of Examiners in two or more years) must also provide a recommendation.

For a deep dive into the examiner experience, please read through the Examiner General Information packet. It offers insight for prospective examiners, including details about the examiner timeline, our expectations, our code of ethics, and procedures.

For questions about applying to the TNCPE Board of examiners, please call (615) 889-8323.

2019 Training Schedule

Orientation

Nashville - May 9

Memphis - May 14

Knoxville - May 14

Tri Cities - May 16

Greensboro, NC - May 16

Nashville II - May 21

Training Course

Nashville - June 11-13

Oak Ridge - June 18-20

Memphis - June 18-20

Greensboro, NC - June 25-27

Tri Cities - June 25-27

Nashville II - July 9-11

​Examiner Training Fees

The following is the fee structure for 2019 Examiner Training:

First year examiner - $400

Second year examiner - $200

Third year examiner and above - No charge

After an examiner has completed two full years on the Board of Examiners, he or she will not be charged for the examiner training course. Returning examiners must complete all three days of training unless they have earned the Master Examiner designation.

Master Examiners

TNCPE examiners who have distinguished themselves over multiple years of service may earn the designation of master examiner. For the first two years after achieving this status, master examiners are only required to attend Day 3 of examiner training, although they are welcome to attend the entire three-day course. Master examiners are not required to complete pre-work, but they must read the case study organizational profile.

High performing experienced examiners are invited to serve as master examiners at the discretion of the TNCPE president. At a minimum, master examiners will have completed three years of service on the Board of Examiners, demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the Baldrige framework, and served as either a team leader or scorebook editor. After accepting the master designation, examiners will serve in leadership roles on future TNCPE teams. Master examiners must complete the entire three-day examiner training course once every three years in order to stay current with changes in the Baldrige framework and TNCPE processes.